Critical integrated circuits are tested at elevated temperatures before being installed in a product because it has been found that a vast majority of these circuits, if prone to failure, will fail in a very short test period. These integrated circuits are frequently encapsulated in rectangular ceramic or plastic packages that have contact pads or leads, which pads or leads are electrically connected to the integrated circuit. To test the integrated circuit it is necessary to make temporary electrical connections to the contact pads or leads on the integrated circuit package. Test sockets which may be soldered to printed circuit boards having the appropriate circuitry for testing a particular integrated circuit have been provided for this purpose.
Most prior designs include a lid which is hinged to the test socket base along one edge which is intended to clamp the integrated circuit down onto the contact pins of the test socket as the lid is closed. One such socket is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,250, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.
If the number of leads of the integrated circuit device is great, the combined spring force generated by the socket contacts becomes large and a great deal of force must be applied to the lid to latch it. It would be desirable to provide some means of obtaining a mechanical advantage in forcing the integrated circuit device downwardly into contact with the contact pins of the test socket.